What the Digital Milennium Copyright Act (DMCA) Means to You

What the DMCA Means for You

In a few words

SUNY Plattsburgh must abide by law as it is set down in the Digital Millennium Copyright Act . As such, the College does not allow students to use its network resources for the
illegal sharing of music, video, software, and game files.

Illegal file-sharing puts both the college and its students at risk

The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) targets music traders and can force Internet service providers to reveal identities
of users. Search "bots" ferret out file traders, and RIAA sends threatening letters
to the traders and to the institutions and organizations that provide the traders
with Internet connectivity. The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) also monitors for DMCA activity.

College students have become particular targets of the RIAA, which began filing civil
suits seeking compensation for damages of up to $150,000 per offence.

Four broadly publicized cases wound up costing the students involved $12,000 to $17,000
in damages.

Students can't afford these sorts of damages, and colleges can't afford to have their
networks compromised or threatened by legal actions.